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TRANSCRIPT
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THE CHURCH OF
InternationalHeadquarters in
Monongahela,Pennsylvania
el NewiS^fr-"'-^
Blast From The PastPage 2
February CalendarPage 2
Word UpPage 3
Meet the BranchPage 4
Editorial ViewpointPages
Branch/ Mission NewsPage 7
Topic SeriesPage 7
GMBA NewsPages
5 Amazing FactsPage 9
Ladies'Uplift CircleNewsPage 9
Children's ComerPage 10
tlessing BitsPage 12
An Evangelist OrdainedBy Sister Linda Walton
re felt a beautiful Spirit of love and unity in the Forest Hills, Florida Branch onSaturday and Sunday November 2 and 3, 2013. Saturday evening our recentlyordained Evangelist Brother Charles Hester from the Quincy, Florida Branch spoke
to us from the heart. He presented a beautiful message of believing and stepping out onfaith. Afterward we gathered for some refreshments and good fellowship.
Sunday morning we gathered to witness the ordinations of Brother Bobby (BJ) Woods, Jr.,to the office of deacon, and Brother Bryan Griffith to the office of evangelist. We had in at-tendance our Region Apostle Brother John Griffith and six evangelists, including Quorumof Seventy President Brother Paul A. Palmieri, as well as our brothers, sisters, and friends.
Brother BJ was set apart and had his feet washed by Brother Marty Gonzalez. He wasordained into the office of deacon by his grandfather, Brother Sam Risola. The word of theLord was spoken confirming his calling, and also commanding Brother BJ to "take care ofMy sheep" and to "labor for Me, for I have called you." Please keep our young brother in your
prayers as he begins this part of his service to our Lord.
Our Brother Paul A. Palmieri then addressed us. He walked us through the reasons theLord calls evangelists. Our brother quoted many scriptures but mostly following Luke 10:1-12 which states, "After these things the Lord appointed other seventy also, andsentthemtwo by two before his face into every city and place, wither he himself would come..." He saidthat the peace of God is the treasure many can never find. They go through life lookingfor peace in their riches and pleasures of the flesh, but they only have to turn to the Lordto find the real peace. Our brother stated that he believes hundreds of thousands will becalled into the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Next, our Brother Bryan was set apart and had his feet washed by Evangelist Miguel Bic-elis. The ordination prayer was offered by Evangelist Eugene Perri. While Brother Bryanspoke to the congregation; a vision was given seeing a glow round about him as well as abeam of light shinning down upon him. A brother elder later confirmed that he too wasgiven the same vision.
Please remember Brother Bryan, his wife Sister Heylen, and their three young sons, Ethan,Connor, and Alien in your prayers as they start this new work in their lives.
All enjoyed a time filled with a beautiful Spirit. Our brothers now have been given addedresponsibilities. We all have a work to do for the Lord; let us unite and be open vessels toall that this wonderful God has for us.
February 2014 Volume 70 • No. 2 TheChurchOfJesusChrist.org
M-RSunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday
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Saturday
LOVE GOD ABOVEALL!!
Show your love tothe children atChurch today
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23Show your love tothose up In yearsat Church today
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8Love that you area member of TheChurch of JesusChristl
Love the workthat you do for theLord. Find joy Indoing it
10 11Pray for theYucalpa Branch-
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Love yourenemies
Show love to yourfamily today in anew way
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Be charitable tosomeone in need
17Love yoursetf-
that is how Godmade you
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24 25 26Show your love toa brother, sister,or friend in need
20Show your tove tosomeone newtoday
27Pray for the SanDiego Branch -pg
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28Support your localMBA and LacSes'Circle and showyour love theretool
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"Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it. Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets" (Matthew 22:37-40).
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s recorded 67 years ago on February 21 by Emil Huttner,a member of the RodefShalomTemple in Charleroi, Pennsylvania, Brother William H. Cadman was the "outstandingspeaker of the evening" whose message "most enlightened" and "thrilled"the audience.
The event, organized by the Jewish organization B'nai B'rith, had included prominent ministers
of various faiths invited to speak on Brotherhood. Being much moved by Brother Will's messageon Israel's future, Huttner concluded, "His talk was direct from his heart with emotion and a feeling
at was directed by the Lord as if the spirit of God had been thrown unto him, and that every wordat came from his lips was a word of truth and understanding."
(To read more of this evening see Gospel News, April 1947 pp. 2-3)
Brother W.H.Cadman >
For God is Love(1 John 4:8)
s!siPurpose Statement• To fulfill the plan of God by bringing salvation through
Christ to all people.
Mission Statement* The Church of Jesus Christ will teach the Gospel to all nations, baptizing them
in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost; teachingthem to observe all things commanded by Jesus Christ.
* To draw Israel to Christ through an effort focused on the Native Americans ofNorth and South America.
Vision Statement• The full manifestations of God's Spirit and power among
the Saints, resulting from living and worshipping in unityand righteousness, stimulate continuous growth of theDomestic Church—even at a rate of doubling over a fiveyear period—while strengthening the InternationalChurch.
THE CHURCH OF
i2»
The Case For Christ: Holding The "Word Up'7 By Elder Doug obradovich
/s reading scripture difficult for you?Do the "thees"and "thous"make Christ's words seem irrelevant, even losing their potency in translation?
Let's take a deeper dive into Jesus'message and see if we can make sense of it all.If successful, let's agree to hold the "Word Up"!
"Love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind; thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets" (Matthew 22:40).
n the Oldham County Mission, we say this as, "Do the Two!" (I'll add more to this later).
After hearing that Jesus had "put the Sadducees to silence" (verse 34), the Pharisees strategized. These two groups, often inpolitical conflict, together enjoyed the status as spiritual and cultural voices of authority. In a show of solidarity, the Phariseessent a scribe ("lawyer") to "tempt" (or discredit) Christ with a question aimed at tripping Him up, "Master, which is the greatcommandment in the law?" (Matthew 22:34,35). While some may believe this referenced the "Ten Commandments/'therewere actually 613 commandments (Mitzvos). By selecting just one, Jesus'judgment was being challenged.
His answer was succinct: love unconditionally (God and others). Speaking to the ultra-conservative Pharisees, scripturalliteralists, Jesus knew this concept would be difficult to embrace. Born into strictness ('^n eye for an eye"), how could thePharisees understand such love? Today the Pharisees might be"Analyticals"(detail-oriented, skeptical, and uncomfortablewith emotionally charged "Expressives"), Imagine their reaction when Christ claimed that love defined the two "great com-mandments." Two thousand years later, we have the same challenge: love unconditionally. Christ closed with, "On these twocommandments hang all the law and the prophets." The law offers guidance to present situations, based upon past actions, andthe prophets supply clarity for future endeavors. From this we can infer Christ's stating that everything (past, present, andfuture) depended upon these two commands.
Everything runs through this spiritual "litmus test" of love! We can measure our decisions by the motivations behind our ac-tions. Have you ever driven too fast, putting those with you or around you in danger, because you were late? Have you everrepeated a story, causing someone embarrassment, while gaining approval from others? Have you ever done something"nice" knowing you would receive praise, public acknowledgement, or personal gain? Were these actions due to love of self,God, or others? Every act demands motive and every motive demands evaluation; all tested through Christ's words "LoveGod; love others."
We who have received salvation through Jesus Christ need not tread over others for personal gain. While we should never tireof working, the purpose is now to repay God for His goodness, draw others to Christ, and increase our Lord's victory. And thisfulfills the two greatest commandments. "Do the Two... Don't Do You!"
February 2014
Do you have a favorite verse you'd like us to dissect? Please send it in to: "Word Up"
San Diego, California Branch
'he interest for The Church of Jesus Christ in San Diego County began in 1944 with a desire that came from a handful of brothers and sisters fromthe branches of Detroit, Michigan. The San Diego Branch was established in 1948 in the home of Brother Charley and Sister Josephine Breci.For a few years following, the group grew to around 25 and was in need of a building. The building where we continue to serve our God today
resides on 39th Street, built by the faithful members themselves, finished and dedicated in 1 952.
We have 89 members, including a large group of young people, three having been baptized this past year. Our MBA is greatly supported by brothersand sisters young and old with a weekly activity or lesson every Wednesday night. We have an active Ladies'Circle that enjoys being involved with theRegion Circle in weekend trips to nearby missions, retreats, and charity efforts within our communities.
Every year we enjoy gathering together in fellowship for our Mothers and Fathers Day breakfasts and Christmas program. Vacation Bible School was anaddition to the 2013 summer plans for the branch. The community and a group of our own children were receptive to the fun and blessings receivedthat week. Due to our close proximity to Mexico, many of our members are involved with the mission field. Every Christmas, we collect shoes and toys,and a group of our members travels down to Mexicali and Vicente Guerrero for weekends filled with blessings.
We are currently searching for a new building that would be suitable for the demographics of our congregation. Please pray with us that the Lord willcontinue to direct our path and provide His protection and peace for our Church family. We send our love and prayers and invite all to come worshipwith us soon.
Yucaipa, California Branch
TheYucaipa Branch started as a small mission in Banning, California. Brothers and sisters held the first meeting at the Banning Ladies'Clubhouseon January 20,1963. Six years later onMay 18,1969, they dedicated a beautiful little building on a two-acre lot in Yucaipa, an area in the foothillsof the San Gregorio Mountains in San Bernardino County.
In 1993, the Riverside Mission merged with Yucaipa and formed the current branch, which now has about 50 members, 35 of which are regularattendees.
We have regularSunday services with Sunday school, singing, preaching, plenty of time for testimony, and communion. Afterward, many of the saintslike to stay and fellowship. We have an active Ladies' Circle which meets every second Sunday. Our youth are excited and sincere about serving theLord. Once a month, the young people teach Sunday school.
Brother ArturoTostado and his wife, Sister Rocio, and daughter. Sister Vanessa, started giving their testimony to people on the Torres Martinez Reserva-tion in India, one hour south of Palm Springs. Now region elders hold a Sunday meeting once a month on the reservation, and many members in theregion support these meetings. This effort is truly blessed.
We participate in many events through the year. We host Mothers and Fathers Day breakfasts, a Ladies'Circle Christmas luncheon, and New Year's':h service. The Area MBA holds youth camps in our backyard, where young people have seminars, canvass the neighborhood, and enjoy bonfires.ve sponsored Christian movie nights for the community on our lot, serving hot dogs and popcorn to visitors. We also support the Christmas gift
giving to the saints in Mexico.
Our branch is growing, and one of the challenges that we face is that we have no more room in our little building to accommodate any kind of growth.Please pray that the Lord provides a larger building for the gathering of His saints and visitors.
February 2014
THE_CHURCHQF'Sl
1stEDITOR-IN-CHIEFCarolynn O'Connor
carolynn@)xelapack.com734-260-0213
ASSISTANT EDITORDonald Ross
CONSULTANTSAlex GentilePaul liberto
Leonard A. LovalvoAnthony Scolaro
Cathy Gentile
OFFICE MANAGER/TYPESETTERErma Draskovich
CHURCH COPYRIGHT PUBLICATIONSCathy Gentile
DESIGN & LAYOUTKen Lombardo
ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANTKaren Pandone
QUORUM OF 70 EDITORCarl Frammolino
GMBA EDITORDaniel Stone
dpstoneOt @gmail.com954-778-6467
GENERAL CIRCLE EDITORAngela Yoder
REGION EDITORS
ATLANTIC COASTMichael Zaino
GREAT LAKESKim Komjathy
MIDWESTNatalie Pezzentl
PACIFICMichelle Watson
PENN-MID ATLANTICMartha dehly
SOUTHEASTDlanne Maddox
SOUTHWESTAnthony Scolaro
THE GOSPEL NEWS (ISSN 0279-1056) is published monthly for$21.00 per year by The Church ofJesus Christ PRINTHOUSE, WorldOperations Center, HOWaltonTeaRoomRoad,Greensburg,PA15601-9998, 724-837-7799. Periodicalpostage paid at Greensburg, PAand additional mailing offices.
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Love/CharJty By Elder Donald Rossihe dictionary defines love as "an intense affection for another person based on familial or personalties." "A strong affection for or attachment to another person based on regard or shared experiencesor interests."
Charity is defined as "the benevolence of God toward man." "The love of man for his fellow men; broth-erly love."
Several times in the Scripture, Jesus Christ gave the commandment that we love Him; that we love oneanother, even as He loved us! A few of those commandments and statements are:
"This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you" (John 15:12).
"These things I command you, thatye love one another" (John 15:17).
"If ye love me, keep my commandments" fJohn 14:15).
"A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love oneanother. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another" (John 13: 34-35).
The Apostle John tells us in I John 3:'\,"Behold,whatmannerof love the Father hath bestowed upon us, thatwe should be called the sons of God: therefore, the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not." Accord-ing to Scripture, because of the love of Jesus Christ, we are His sons and daughters; we are His children!What a blessing! What an honor! What a privilege!
We are to love God above all. We are to love our neighbor as we love ourselves. We are to love our en-emies and to do good to those who persecute us. What is the first fruit of the Spirit of God? Accordingto the Apostle Paul, it is love, see Galatians 5:22. In Ephesians 3:17, the Apostle Paul instructed them asfollows: "that ye be rooted and grounded in love."
Jesus Christ was the epitome of charity. He loved the sinner, but not the sin. He forgave the adulterouswoman. He was kind and showed love to the Samaritan woman at the well. Because of His kindnessand love towards her, she ran to town and bore her testimony and experience of meeting the "prophet,"and her action caused others to worship Him and acknowledge Him as their Saviour. Everywhere Hewent, He conveyed love.
In The Church of Jesus Christ, charity, the love of God, is what sets us apart as the people of God. Lovecannot be conditional. We must love the sinner even as the Lord loved the sinner. We must love allpeople. It is not always easy to love the sinner or all people, but we must, because the Lord commandsus that we love one another, that we love as He loved us. Remember, it is a commandment that we loveone another. It is not a suggestion!
Nephi loved his brothers Laman and Lemuel in spite of their hatred towards him. They conspired tomurder him. They tried to slay him. But the power of Jesus Christ was with him and they could notharm him. In his farewell address, Nephi states, "Behold, I Nephi have written what I have written, and Iesteem it as of great worth, and especially unto my people. For I pray continually for them by day, and mineeyes water my pillow by night, because of them; and I cry unto my God in faith, and I know that he will hearmy cry" (II Nephi 33:3). This is love. This is compassion. Nephi went on to say that he was confidentthat he would meet "many" souls spotless at the Lord's judgment seat. Not a few, not some, but many.
The four sons of Mosiah had so much love for their fellow man, their people; they could not bear thatany human soul should perish! Their preaching was among their enemies, not their friends.
Jesus Christ loved us and all mankind so much that He willingly, not grudgingly, gave His life that wemight live. He stated in John 15:13 that "greater love hath no man than this; that a man lay down his lifefor his friends." We are His friends if we do what He commands us to do, if we keep His commandments.We abide in the light of Jesus Christ when we keep His commandments, when we love one another,and do good to one another.
Moroni writes, "if a man be meek and lowly in heart, and confesses by the power of the Holy Ghost thatJesus /s the Christ, he must needs have charity; for if he have not charity, he is nothing; wherefore he mustneeds have charity" (Moroni 7:44).
Read Moroni 7:44-48. These few verses describe charity, what is expected and required of us, to possesscharity above all else. Without charity, without the love of God, we are absolutely nothing! When wepass from this life, charity is the only thing we bring with us. Everything else is left behind. Let usbe something in Jesus Christ. Let us keep His commandments. Let us possess the love of God that allmen will know that we are His disciples. His sons and daughters. His children. Let us love one anotheras He loved us!
Editors note: The scripture is FULL of verses about LOVE. Turn the page to see just a small sampling of thesebeautiful expressions and direction given to us to enrich our lives and affect those around us.
_C_HARITY__ _ THAT YE
JSJHEPURE^^ LOVEO'NELOVE OFC_HRIS_T_(Morom ^7)___ ANofHrR;AS~l H^VE rbVED
THEIR HUSBANDS LOVE THEIR VFM' 1'7 "I'^k'n' '-T Q^. :WIVES, THEIR WIVES LOVE THEIR I ^^J ^UUIIII I vJ.
HUSBANDS (Jacob 3:7) LOVE YO HR^ ^'i-LK T^CH,-™/EM To ,LOVE.. ENEMIES (Matthew 5:44)
|ONE ANOTHER (Mosiah 4:15)ibRiiAR7NGONEAN"6THERTN
iFor GOD IS LOVE?p£r84:"THOU SHALT LOVE THE LORD THY GOD WITH ALL THEY HEART, AND WITH ALL THY SOUL, AND WITH
AL_THY MIND (Matjhew 22:3^7) _ ^ For PERFECT LOVE CASTETH
Becoming humble,^MEEK,SUBMISSIVE,SI
PATTENtj?FULL OF LOVE Sg
OUT ALL FEAR" (Moroni 8:16)
(2 1:15)
^ Ati. MEN SHOUfcD HAVE CHARITY, WHICH0> CHARITY IS LOVE (2 Nephi 26:30)f)
(Alma 13:28)^ ^E^ED^WITHFOR THEY i= g
LOVE TO g! | ^RDS^PRAY(3Nephi 13:5) ^\ Jgrui.1. OF IOVE, 3 B <
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February 2014
It Was the Love of the Saints By sister Chris Nicklown 2011 the Monongahela Branch celebrated their 80th an-
niversary. Invitations were mailed to past members andfamily of our saints that used to attend as children. We were
blessed with many that we had not seen in years. As a resultof that invitation Ken and Joann DeSantis continued to attend.Joann's mother and aunts were devoted sisters in our branch.
She attended Sunday School and Church with her mother but
drifted away as she grew up. Like many, she always consideredThe Church of Jesus Christ to be her church. Ken and Joannwere baptized in 2012, and have embraced the Church and the
Gospel with open arms. On February 10, 2013 Brother Ken was
ordained a deacon. As the ministry met with Brother Ken, hewas so excited to be given this opportunity. Here is our broth-er's testimony:
"My wife and I were married in the church I was raised in. After
a few years of attending my church, she asked me to visit hers,but I always declined. I later became an officer in my church.After being treasurer for approximately 20 years, I felt obligated
to continue attending and kept on rejecting The Church of JesusChrist. However, after a longer period of time, I became disen-chanted and stopped attending. Having been a member for 40years, I realized I was receiving nothing. In all this time, I don'tremember ever opening the Bible, not even in the short time wetried Sunday School.
"When the Monongahela Branch of The Church of Jesus Christ
was commemorating its 80th anniversary, my wife received aninvitation. She begged me to attend and with a little nudge
from the Lord, I accepted.
"On the day we arrived, I knew very few members. However,
after about an hour, I felt like I had known these people forever.
I couldn't explain how I felt, but the love in this Church is in-
credible. My life changed that day. Later on one of the eldersexplained, 'All churches have love, but ours has the love ofGod.' This helped me to understand why I felt this way, al-though it is still difficult to explain to outsiders the way I feel. Idon't know if the people who were raised in this Church really
appreciate and understand what they have. To converts likeme and others in the Church, we are overwhelmed by thislove.
"After attending the anniversary, I wanted to be present ata regular meeting to see how I would feel. I haven't misseda Sunday since. It's hard to explain, but everything just fell
into place. The Church gave me The Book of Mormon, whichI read from I Nephi to Moroni. I became very close to one ofthe elders, Brother Karl Kirschner, and called him every weekwith questions and he always took time to help me. ThenI started to attend Sunday School, MBA, Wednesday night
prayer meeting, was baptized, and even signed up to cleanthe building. All the while I couldn't explain how all this hap-
pened. I guess the Lord was just leading and helping me todo what I had always wanted to do.
"Spiritually and naturally my life has changed so much and I
am so happy my wife asked me to do this. I thank the Lord forleading me this way.
"The elders have offered to help me any way they can. Forthis I wish to thank them. I especially want to thank thecongregation. Your love motivated me to become a memberand I want to thank you. I love you all and God bless you."—Brother Kenneth DeSantis . .
Faith Love/Charity Hope Unity Righteousness Congruence
Responsibility Empathy Loyalty Leadership Honor Rights/Respect Duty
VA LU E S By Brother Michael Watson
Value: Responsibility
Definition'. Accepting accountability with reliability; trustworthiness; fulfilling our roles as saints as appointed and as ordained
Vital Verses:• "And the Lord said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not: Am I my brother's keeper?"
(Genesis 4:9)
• "And it came to pass that I, Nephi, said unto my father: I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded,for I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for themthat they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them" (I Nephi 3:7).
(Continued on Page 8)
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'siSBS59S&
SAMBA Business Meeting and Conference
'he Southeast Area MBA (SAMBA) excitedly met at the
Quincy Branch over Labor Day weekend 2013. We hada great turnout from around the Southeast, with nearly
all of the MBA locals represented. After our Area Ladies'Circle
conducted their business meeting on Saturday morning (andQuincy fed us a fabulous lunch), the area MBA convened for thebusiness meeting.
During our afternoon session, we had our election of officers.
Brother Chuck Maddox, Jr., is our newly elected President,Brother Lucas Martorana is the newly elected Vice President,and Brother Chuck Maddox, Sr., was re-elected as area MBAchaplain. Again, we'd like to thank Brother Brad Kurowsky forhis hard work and dedication to the area MBA during his term
as president.
This year it was decided to hold our SAMBA campout at Chris-
tian Retreat in Bradenton, Florida on February 21-23, 2014. Wewere very pleased with the new location and all it has to offer
our group, and we are excited to be able to fellowship there thisupcoming year. Please remember Sisters Alaina Cavill and Kim
Morle as they are our camp director and assistant camp direc-tor, respectively. All are welcome!
By Sister Kristy Rogalla
After another wonderful meal provided by the Quincy Branch,we met for our evening service. The spirit of singing was truly
evident that evening. We enjoyed many selections as a group.During the meeting, Sister Christine Martorana was asked toprepare groups to sing and to offer their testimonies. She or-
ganized various groups, such as those who have been baptizedfor five years or less, those who have lived in Florida their entire
lives, and those who have experienced healings in their lives inthe past six months. Some individuals fell into every group. Itwas a blessing to see even some of the small children singingand testifying along with the adults. After our service, many inattendance gathered at a local bowling alley for fun and fellow-ship and, I can say that personally it was A LOT of fun!! It did not
matter where we gathered, what mattered was that, as a Church,we were together enjoying time with our brothers and sisters.
On Sunday we gathered back at the Quincy Branch and the
spirit of singing was evident once again. Brother Kevin Murphyopened our meeting and Brother Tom Jones followed. Duringthe service Brother Chuck Maddox, Sr., felt that we should justcontinue singing. There was a beautiful Spirit felt during the
meeting! Many anointings took place during the service, and weall left with an uplifted Spirit and a blessing.
continued from Page 7
Scriptural Example:Judah experienced a remarkable turnaround, going from selfish boy to a man who took responsibility for his actions. Rememberwhen Judah and his brothers visited Joseph in Egypt for the second time? Judah pledged his life to his father Jacob (Israel) thathe would bring his baby brother Benjamin back safely from the journey. The visit went well, but Joseph commanded his men toplace a silver cup in Benjamin's saddlebag, making it appear as if he had stolen it. When Joseph's men "discovered"the cup andaccused Benjamin of theft, Judah quickly offered himself to be Joseph's slave in exchange for his brother's freedom. What a far cry
from the young man who sold his brother Joseph into slavery years before. Judah had teamed the meaning of being his "brother'skeeper."
Life Application:"With great power comes great responsibility." Do you remember this quote from the movie "Spiderman"? Peter Parker real-
izes that his superhuman powers had the equal potential to be used for evil or for good. We too have been given superhumanpower—we know what it means to really love—a love not given by the world and not produced by another human but only givenby God. When Christ's love enters our hearts, we're transformed into God's superheroes on earth. And we are given the greatresponsibility to care for others. Christ's love drove him to the cross to sacrifice His life for us. Most of us will not be asked to give
our physical lives, but we are asked to be responsible for and care for others. This may mean taking out the trash, preparing a les-
son for Sunday School, mentoring a young person, auditing the books, or providing a ride to church for someone (to name a fewexamples). We are to perform each task with equal dedication, even when we don't feel like doing it. "Am I my brother's keeper?"
Without a doubt, yes.
Points to Ponder:• What are the most important responsibilities in your life?
• What responsibilities are you running from?
• How can you more fully permit Christ's love to empower you to fulfill your responsibilities to yourfamily, your church, your co-workers, etc.?
Presented originally on the Gospel Blog
l.lF;ebruary.i2Q1,'4
ApOStle Peter By Brother Kerry Carlini
12345
l@terwas just a fisherman. But Jesus knew the strength that lay within his character and called him to fol-low. When confusion arose among men as to whom Jesus was, it was Peter who boldly declared, "Thouart the Christ, the Son of the living God" (Matthew 16:13-20). Jesus knew that God had revealed this truth
to Peter, and that upon such revelations His kingdom would be built. Jesus also knew that after His depar-ture, it would be Peter whom God would entrust to "strengthen thy brethren" and lead the Church. Who wasthis man set aside for such a great work (Luke 22:32)? Here are 5 amazing facts regarding this man, Peter:
He was the only disciple to step out in faith and walk upon the water, but then cry, "Lord, save me," when he became fearful(Matthew 14:28-31).
He objected to having his feet washed, but when told that he would have no part with Jesus, he asked that his hands andhead be washed as well (John 13:6-10).
He cut off the ear of a servant of the high priest, but was afterward used of God to raise Dorcas from the dead (John 18:10;Acts 9:40).
He denied knowing Jesus, but would later preach of Jesus on the Day of Pentecost where 3,000 souls were converted1 (Matthew 26:69-75; Acts Chapter 2).
Perceived as unlearned and ignorant by the religious leaders, Peter would withstand their threats, and then boldly con-tinue with the other disciples to preach of Jesus, having many signs and wonders of God accompany them (Acts 4:1-30).
VSKsSESJIiS&SMSSMSM'SSWHistory is Our Teacher II
By Sister Lisa Champine, General Ladies' Uplift Circle President"And it came to pass that I beckoned unto them; and I also did say unto them with a loud voice that theyshould come unto me, and partake of the fruit, which was desirable above all other fruit" (I Nephi 8:15).
have been reading through ourminutes books from the early days ofthe Circle. They are a treasure. As I go
through them, sometimes chronologi-cally, sometimes just opening one of thebooks randomly and reading, I marvel atthe tenacity and dedication of our earlysisters. They did a great work duringdifficult times.
Much of what I have read is exactly whatone would expect in a book of minutes;facts and figures, reports, and delibera-tions. Nevertheless, our early sisters alsoknew the importance of attending totheir spiritual needs as well. Often thereare references to lessons they went overat the general meetings. Manytestimo-nies were shared, many prayers were of-
fered, and the Spirit of God was felt. As Ipage through these handwritten, fadingrecords, I stumble upon some thingsthat are very special; treasures within atreasure. I came across this short dream
by Sister Jane Lewis. It does not reveala great truth, the world would not bechanged by reading it, yet, when I read
it, it impressed me. It did so becauseof its simplicity and its relevance. Thedream is recorded in the minutes ofMarch 28,1935. I have left the wordingunchanged so that you might see it as itwas recorded.
"/ dreamed that Sister Clara Stevens and Iwent into the church at Monongahela Citywith our bibles under our arms, and whenwe got into the room, the room was fullof women, And Sister Elizabeth Foye wasstanding in the isle with her bible and shebeckoned with her right hand — this way.And there was two sisters that I rekonizedSister Rebecca Behan[n]a and Sister LenaSowers." Your Sister in Christ, Jane Lewis.
The sisters mentioned in this brief expe-rience have received their reward longago. They have left their mark on thehistory of the Circle and in their respec-tive branches, to be sure. And althoughmany of us may have never known themor even heard of them before now, I canstill identify with them and what theyrepresent in this dream for the Circle
and, by extension, the Church.
The aims and goals we uphold as TheLadies' Uplift Circle have not changed.We still believe in meeting together.We continue to keep scripture studyat the heart of who we are and whatwe do, and we beckon to other sistersand women to join us, to come and see
and feel and touch. Those ideals, thosetruths are just as alive and well today in2014 as they were in 1935.
What does this mean for us today? Arewe willing to be like Sister Elizabeth inthe dream and beckon others to Circleand to the Church that they might expe-rience what we have? We don't need tomove mountains; we just need to waveover a friend, or invite our neighbor to ameeting, and God takes care of the rest.We simply need to be ready for our mo-ment to share this wonderful fellowshipthat we have as sisters of the Circle andThe Church of Jesus Christ. May Godcontinue to bless us as we strive to doHis will.
• February 2014'K's&SfSSSSi-MSS'^SS&i'iiiiiiliiSiiSSSSSyS;,
WSSiiWisSSiiSiSSSSSit
How Can We Change And Make Things Right?
rhen I was a younger woman I
was afraid to admit to anyonethat I was often very wor-
ried and scared deep down inside. Ithought it would be dangerous to letpeople know in case they saw I wasweak and would be mean to me. I was
worried if I did not know the right wayto do something. Maybe it was justsomething that people in my familygroup did not do, or maybe it was justsomething that I wanted to try but wasuncertain how to go about it. If I madea mistake, I was also scared peoplewould find out and stop liking me.
Then I started praying about things. I;ted asking God to take away the
a. .--as I was unable to work in. I started
asking the Lord to help me find theright people to teach me and show methings. I studied and read how to dothings and then I started trying to dothings I was interested in even thoughI felt shy or scared inside. One time Iasked our older elder in the Church,Brother Reno Bologna, his opinionabout whether I should take an officein the Church and he told me, "SisterJan, stick your neck out a little. It will getchopped and it will fit better!"
That scared me. I did not want to havesomeone "chopping me" by criticizingme or bossing me around. Then I hadto laugh at myself. What if I felt thatway when I was a little baby tryingto stand up and walk? The first time Ifell and got hurt, I learned somethingabout balance, or holding onto furni-ture, or bending my knees.
It was important not to give up. I hadkeep trying. And when my Mother
^cblded me for touching a hot stoveor doing something unsafe, whenshe gave me a little "chop," I may have
cried or been mad or pouted, but I didlearn. I learned how to proceed in lifeso I was safer and fit in better.
When Jesus walked the face of thisearth, he met a selfish, greedy taxcollector named Zacchaeus who wasan unhappy man. When he did hisjob of collecting people's money forthe government, he cheated everyoneand was hated and feared.
When Jesus came to teach in his city,Zacchaeus climbed in a tree to seeJesus. Jesus called to him and toldhim to come down, and went to Zac-chaeus'house to eat. As He told the
unhappy man about the right way tolove and care for others, Zacchaeus
was sorry for all he had done wrong.He wanted to learn a new way to liveand act.
He promised Jesus, "Lord, I will givehalf of all I own to the poor. I also willthink about anyone I've cheated and/ will pay them back four times what Itook!" (See Luke 19:1-10.)
Can you imagine how shocked peoplewere when he said he was sorry andgave them money? He was not afraidto let people know that he was weakand had done the wrong thing. Hedid not stop himself from changing todoing the right thing.
Today, when we are wrong, Jesus willgive us the courage to admit it andwork bravely to make it right also. TheLord can make our hearts soft andhonest enough to say we are sorry,and to take back our mean words.
Then Jesus will keep on working inour hearts and lives to keep us feelinggood and clean about ourselves downdeep inside. Talk to Jesus. Thinkabout what you've done wrong andbeg Him to show you how to make
it right. Listen to His answers. Ask theLord to help you change. Then pray forthe courage to do the right thing, asZacchaeus did.
Your Friend,
Sister Jan
WORD SEARCH
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February 2014
I felt the greatest love for me from the Anaheim Sain+s in1982.1 was scheduled to have a cranio+omy to remove a tumor
in my brain. They began a 24-hour "Ready Alert Prayer" for,-,dn+eers, beginning at 12:00 a.m. on the day of my surgery. Iwas covered with prayers every minu+e on the day. After surgeryI had complications and the sain+s showed such love that theywere willing to set the alarm at all hours of the night so that theycould fulfill their time commi+ted in prayer. Jesus said to love oneanother even as He loved us. Our saints have this love that Jesusmentions and it is felt and shown by our actions and the greatconcern we feel for one another. I s+ill have the "Ready AlertPrayer" sign-up sheet from 31 years ago. It is on my dresser andI look at it often, and as I look upon the names, I pray for themwi+h a grateful and loving heart. Twenty of those sain+s have goneon to their reward. Thank you, dear brothers and sisters for yourlove from the heart. Thank you, Jesus for your love and mercytowards us—Sister Mary Ann Heaps, Forest Hills, FL Branch
When my husband had to have surgery, he received so manycalls, e-mails, cards, visits, and food—the love of the saints was soabundant.—Sister Kim Morle, Atlanta, 6A Branch
In the last week, I went +o my brothers and sisters in theChurch (via our Gospel e-mail) and requested prayer. I received somuch love from them. I received some wonderful e-mails tellingme that I was in their prayers. It touched me and meant so muchto me. I was actually in the waiting room at my doctor's office andread an e-mail, on my phone, from a sister I have not met (she'sfrom the east coast and I am on the west coast). While reading
e-mail, I felt warm+h surround me and felt the love of God.bud is good. It is nice to have our extended family in Christ fromcoast +o coas+...we can share our fai+h in the Lord and our love forothers in our Church wi+h our Gospel e-mail.
I was introduced to the "love" and hospi+ali+y of the sain+s at
an early age from my home branch in Aliquippa as well as in manybranches throughout the Church. Brothers, sisters, and friendsin Detroit Branches #2 and #3 were my second homes as well asin Edison, NJ. I can picture the saints in the congregations andam overwhelmed by the memories of love bestowed on me! Whata wonderful opportunity to grow up in the Church! Thank you and6od bless you.—Sister Donna Bogle, Aliquippa, PA Branch
At the close of the October General Church Conference atthe World Conference Center I fell and broke my femur in twoplaces. While I was in the hospital I received well over a hundredcards from brothers and sisters from all over the country. Whata blessing! My husband and daughter taped them all over one wallin my room. All the nurses, doctors, therapists, and others that
saw them commented that they had never seen anyone receive somany cards, that I must be someone important or else I had a bigfamily. I said. Yes, I have a large family of brothers and sistersfrom my Church." As I read each card, I felt the love of thesain+s, through Jesus Christ. I thought of the song, "Isn't theLove of Jesus (and my brothers and sisters) Something Wonder-ful? — Sister Lucet+a Scaglione, Monongahela, PA Branch
One of our young boys in the Windsor, Ontario Branch, RielyMat+ews, was par+icipa+ing in handing out care packages to theneedy as part of our Christmas endeavors. He had $5 saved tobuy his dad a gift for Christmas, but saw a homeless man on thestreet near the project and thought giving it to him was some-thing the Lord would want him +o do with that money instead, sohe did. La+er that week he shoveled snow for one of our sistersand she gave him $20 for doing it. It was a blessing to see ourchildren learning.
The love of the saints has given me so much joy and peacethat I share it daily with my co-workers and others that I come incontact wi+h.
The love of the sain+s is unequaled by anything else in thisworld! I have yet to find (and never will find) greater moments ofpeace and love in my life outside of the times I have spent withthe sain+s of God. It is the "trademark" of The Church of JesusChris+...le++ing others know we are His disciples—Brother PatrickMonaghan, Columbus, OH Mission
As an only child, I am often envious of my friends who havenatural siblings—it's truly a special bond. But, thanks to TheChurch of Jesus Christ, I have an endless supply of siblings—spe-cial people God has placed in my life to love me just as I am.—Sis-+er Natalie Pezzen+i, Cincinna+i-Morrow, OH Mission
It was the love of the saints that guided me as a young per-son to want +o learn more about the true Gospel of Christ. Loveinspired the brothers and sisters to reach out to me and sharewhat they had both spiri+ually and naturally. Love motivated them+o care for me, setting a Chn's+like example that I could fol-low. Their ongoing service inspires me to share Christ's love withothers so that all may experience His peace, love, and joy in theirlives—Cindy Henderson, Detroit, MI Branch 2
Editor's Note: Thank you all for the wonderful responses to our Questionof the Month. We had so many members write in that we could not fitthem all in this issue! We wilt print the remainder of the responses in theMarch issue.
A Divine HealerI was sick with fever and a sore throat; how-ever, I still went to work. Subsequently, Iwas sent to the medical clinic where I workand they took a throat culture for analysis.The analysis revealed strep throat, which isa highly contagious infection that can bequickly passed to others. I was then sent toan urgent care clinic. At the clinic, anotherthroat culture confirmed the diagnosis. Iwent home with antibiotics to be takenfour times a day for seven days.
Around 6:00 PM, I took my first antibioticpill and was supposed to take the seconddose six hours later, but I didn't. Instead, Iprayed to the Lord to heal me as He has intimes past. At that moment, I felt the Lordin the room, and I started to praise Him.While praising the Lord, I was instantlyhealed of the fever and sore throat. Myeldest son, Joshua, who was also spik-
ing a fever, was also healed! I threw awaythe antibiotics!—Brother Anthony Cardinale,
Anaheim, CA
© Walking on Water^ently had cataract surgery. Due to
three separate eye problems, I needed fourdifferent eye solutions. One of those solu-tions was an antibiotic. I had never usedeye drops before. It was a thick solutionwhich seemed to pour everywhere but intomy eye. After three days of premedicationwith eye drops, I went in for surgery. On
day two following the surgery, I had anoffice visit. To my dismay, I still neededto use the antibiotic. I mentioned to anassistant at the doctor's office about myeye drop dilemma. She showed me asimple method for applying the drops.On day three, I turned the bottle over andnothing came out. I set it down on thecounter and prayed. "Lord, you know that
/ can't afford another bottle of medication.I need a miracle." Then I tried again, andlike the Apostle Peter, I walked on water.I waited in faith believing. One drop ofsolution came out of the bottle. Thishappened three times a day for the nextfour days. Each time, exactly one dropof antibiotic came out and went directly
into my eye.—Sister Diana Houlihan, Clinton
Township, Ml
©© Miracles Still Happen!On October 19 I texted Brother Sal Riosat 10:00 AM to apologize for missing ourProverbs reading that day, and said thatmy 4-year-old daughter Sarah was sickwith a fever and crying all morning abouta bellyache. He said, "Let me petition theLord and pray for her". I thanked him. Ithen texted Sister PatValenti and she alsoprayed. I told Sarah they were praying.Within ten minutes, Sarah turned to meand said "Mommy my belly doesn't hurtanymore. God fixed my belly." I was soexcited I texted Brother Sal and told himwhat happened but that she was stillfeverish. He said, "/ will continue to pray.
I feel a connection withyou." I thanked himand texted Sister Pat. She continued to pray.Amazingly, in 30 minutes, the fever broke.Now I am shaking, I again texted BrotherSal, I said "I know it's a lot but let's try for onemore answered prayer: her nose is running, red,
and sore." He prayed that "it would be goneby 2:00 PM" and told me to have faith. Yes,it was gone! Sarah went from being terriblyill, to not even looking like anything waswrong with her. It was a real live miracle inmy home. PRAISE GOD! I had almost takenSarah to the E.R. We both attended Churchthe next day and this was my testimony.You could not even tell anything was everwrong with my precious little girl.—Sister BarbWeiszgerber, Levittown, PA
Send us your Blessing Bits [in approximately 150 words] and answer the Question of the Month by contacting [email protected]
Question for this month: "How do you make time during the day to be "alone with God"? Is there a specfictime or place you have learned that works best for you"?
Answer from last month: To read the answers on "How has the love of the saints positively affected yourlife"? turn back to page 11. Thank you all for your beautiful entries!
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Thou hast set all the borders of the earth: thou hast made summer and winter. Psalms 74:17